Electric sign



Jan. 31, 1928. 1,657,705

W. K. WILEY ELECTRIC 5 IGN Fild Jan. 26. 1924 6 waifacezz wjiegg Patented Jan. 31, 1928.

UNITED STATE FATE/NT uinea;

VWALLACEK. WILEY, or BUFFALO. New YORK: ASSIGNO R' r neutrons" TION, or roNAwANnA, NEW YORK, jAco irona'r-Io-n or NEWYORI.

ELECTRIC SIGN;

' Application filed January 26,1924? Serial No. 688,836.

This invention relates to improvements in electric signs of the type in which translucent letters or characters provided upon one or more faces of a boxlike casing arewillumiintended: for outdoor illumination they are usually formed'of metal and providedwith openings in the outline of the letters or characters to be. displayed, the openings being backed by glass. plates which are removably securedfand which may be either flat throughout their extentorprovided with letter strokes or characters in relief to project wall: bemg shown. in: 56013011,.

through the/"openings.

In such signs normally closed openings or windows are provided in the frame walls, that is to say, the walls at angles to the display face or faces, by which access may be had to the interior of the sign for the purposes of substituting electric lamps, cleaning the glass letter plates, or substituting new plates for broken ones. Such windows have heretofore been closed by flat plates. These have been fitted more or less lightly against the frame walls inwhich the windows are formed, the object being to 80 make the sign light proof and weather proof. The sign box being otherwise closed, there has been no certain provision for ventilating its interior to counteract the heat developed by the electric lamps which in most cases are, or should be, of high power. The presence of the windows also has a weakening effect on the wall in which the windows are formed, whereby such wall will sag or be wavy, particularly if itbe an upper wall. This weakening of the wall is intrinsically objectionable and frequently results in crevices around the edges of the windows,

i. 9. between the walls and the window closure plates, through which rain or snow water may pass into the sign with undesirable effects and through which light may escape.

The present invention relates particularly to novel co-operating structural features of the windows and their closures and has for its object to provide a simple structure by which the interior of the sign will be adequately ventilated, a light proof and weather proof closure of the windows will be effected,

the frame walls will be reinforced so asto avoidwsagg ng and" a further advantagecin accessibility willbcserved.

The invention is illustrated intheaccoin- IT paying drawing, wherein:

I a Figure 1 is a plan-view of the struotute inconnection with the, upper wall or amentical wall of the sign box.

Figure 2 isa side view ofthe same-the wallbeing showniin-section, Y a Figure 3. 1s a section-on'the l1ne.3 }3:of Figure 1.

Figure {4 is a bottom. plain yi'ew lof. the

structure in connection with the l werywal-l of the box. I

Figure 51sside viewof thesafhfl, the

Figure 6 is a section on the hue Figure 4.

right angle thereto. The opening -1 1s normally closed by a cover which consists of a flat plate'3 overlyin said opening and provided with a 'marglnal flange 4 which extends at a suitable angle to said plate and bears against the wall F. The plate 3 conforms inoutline to but is of greater area The frame wall is shown at F and proa or such purposes as than the opening 1 and the flange 4 is of greater depththan the flange 2 and thereby a passage 5 of sensible dimensions is pro vided for between the flanges 2 and 4 and between the flange 2 and the plate 3. The

passage 5 communicates with ventilatin openings 6 in the flange 4, the openings pre 'erably being formed as recesses in the hearing edge of said flange. The cover is suitably attached to the wall F and for this pur pose may be provided at its ends with lugs 7 which project from the flange 4 and are engaged by catches 8 pivotally mounted on the wall F. j

The cover shown in Figures 4 to 6 in addition to the features above described is provided in the plate 3 with a drains. e opening 9 over which is arranged a lig t shield 10 in the form of a channel open at its ends. i

The flange 2 serves several purposes; thus it reinforces the wall F against the weakening efiect of the opening 1, thereby preventing said wall from sagging; it overlaps the opening 6, thereby, in connection with-the plate 3, reventing theescape oflight from the sign 0x; and it forms a barrier against the passage of water into the sign box. In addition said flange co-operates with the cover plate 3 and its flange 4 to provide a passage through which air may freely pass into and from the sign box.

At the upper side of the sign box any water which may accumulate due to rain or to the melting of snow will drain from the ends of the be}: before it rises to the level of the upper edge of the flange 2. Along the vertical frame walls practically all water will be diverted by the flange 4 and such negligible amounts as may find entry through the openings 6 will escape through the drainage openings 9 of the b0ttom closures 3. Since the closure plates bear upon the frame walls merely alongthe edges of-the'flanges 4,there are no overlapping bearing areas of substantial dimensions which, due to rusting or freezing, might interfere with the ready removal of the clothe purpose of the removal or substitution of enclosed parts thereof, in combination with a marginal flange progccting outward troin said hand hole, a cover comprising a plate substantially conforming in outlineto but of greater area than said hand hole and arranged to overlie the same and a marginal flange projecting from said plate toward said frame wall, said flanges being formed to provide an air passage in communication with said hand hole and with the exterior of the sign, and means for securing said cover to said frame wall whereby said cover may be moved to expose said hand holes.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

WALLACE Ki. WILEY; 

